1. China: Warring States to Empire
Qin Dynasty
Part of the Classical China’s History

2. Creation of the Empire Regarded as restoration
Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties had created a Chinese state
Fell apart by 500 BCE
Age of warring states
Seven competing kingdoms
Multiple states were thought to be unnatural

3. Qin Dynasty
Emerges out of end of Zhou Dynasty/Period of Warring States
Founder: Shi Huangdi (“First Emperor”)
Goals:
Unify and expand China
Restore order

4. Unification by Shi huangdi
Ruler of Qin, BCE
Adopted legalism as political philosophy
Clear rules and harsh punishments to enforce state authority

5. Legalism Practical, political reaction to Confucianism
Han Feizi - 3rd century BCE
Powerful and efficient government is key to restoring order
Laws will end civil war and restore harmony
Rewards to good subjects and punish disobedient
Rulers must control ideas and actions of people
Favored by Shi Huangdi during Qin dyansty

7. Life in the Qin Dynasty Social
Primogeniture eliminated (practice of having eldest son inherit all property and land)
Nobles must leave land and live in Emperor’s court
Political
Emperor had complete control over all aspects of society
Use of brutality and force to accomplish goals (Great Wall)
Bureaucracy (not of the nobility) expanded to help control all regions
National census
Single law code
Interactions
Army expanded to crush rivals and regional rebellions
Expanded territory of China, including Hong Kong
Influenced parts of Vietnam through conquest
Expanded infrastructure to increase interactions

8. Cultural
Confucianism looked down upon and followers persecuted
Legalism promoted
Architectural: Initiates construction of Great Wall; Terracotta Soldiers/Tomb of Shi Huangdi
Uniform written language
Banned books
Economic
Introduced standard weights and measures
Eliminated the very rare practice of slavery
Forced labor necessary for construction projects
Extremely high taxes
Sponsored agricultural projects (irrigation) and manufacturing of silk

9. Terracotta Soldiers/Tomb of Shi Huangdi

11. Positive Creation Standardized weights, measurements Currency
Written chinese
Axle lengths for carts

12. Qin Dynasty Collapses Shi Huangdi High taxes, forced labor
Extremely paranoid; killed off suspected enemies (nobles, intellectuals, warlords)
Desire to control EVERYTHING
High taxes, forced labor
Shi Huangdi dies in 210 BCE; followed by 8 years of peasant revolts to determine successor - winner establishes Han Dynasty
Collapses 206 BCE
Han dynasty 206 BCE-220 CE
Kept Qin centralization
Less harsh